Dissociation fully mediates the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and DSM-5 PTSD in a sample of treatment-seeking adults

Louison Vang, Maria; Shevlin, Mark; Karatzias, Thanos; Fyvie, Claire; Hyland, Philip

Abstract

Introduction: Child-abuse and neglect are associated with increased risk of adult PTSD and dissociation. Recent research suggests that dissociation mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD, however, there is a lack of clarity regarding the mediating role of dissociation for different types of child abuse.
Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate dissociation as a mediator between 5 typologies of child-maltreatment and post-traumatic stress severity.
Method: In a sample of highly symptomatic, treatment-seeking females (N=99), structural equation modelling was used to test 3 different models of mediation: direct effect, indirect effect, and direct and indirect effect.
Results: The 5 typologies of child maltreatment were significantly related to dissociation and post-traumatic stress. Dissociation mediated the effect of childhood sexual abuse and childhood emotional abuse on post-traumatic stress severity. The indirect effect model fit the data best.
Conclusion: Dissociation fully mediated the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and post-traumatic stress severity. The results are limited by the use of retrospective self-report measures and a small sample size.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 8, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Feb 20, 2018
• Publication Date: 2018-10
• Deposit Date: Feb 12, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 21, 2019
• Journal: European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation
• Electronic ISSN: 2468-7499
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 173-178
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2018.02.004
• Keywords: Childhood abuse; childhood trauma; dissociation; posttraumatic stress disorder; posttraumatic stress
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1037141
• Contract Date: Feb 12, 2018